The Grand Plot of Hideous Witch
by nivisia
Summary: They say overactive imagination can get you into a lot of trouble. It's easy to believe in it when police search for witch. After 4x06. English is my second language.
1. Chapter 1

Lucy was pacing restlessly around the room.  
'Sorry, I'm really nervous,' she explained. 'It's my first interrogation.'  
'We can see that, ' DS Miles answered.  
She narrowed her eyes. His impoliteness made her feel less cooperative.  
'I can't understand why I am here in the first place.'  
'Why don't you sit down.'  
She sighed but decided to comply. Unfortunately as she turned around, box of pins fell down on the floor.  
'Sorry, sir, ' she mumbled, because DI Chandler looked quite distressed. He started gathering it on his knees. Lucy froze and opened her eyes widely.  
'Oh my god, you are so like pixie, ' she couldn't help to notice.  
'What?'  
None of them seemed to understand what she meant. It was a perfect chance to take it back. She didn't bother to use it.  
'You know, a pixie. It's something very close to fairy. When you pour a salt, pixie has to count it. You are not going to count it, are you? Anyway, it's a good way to distract them. If you want to distract a pixie. I certainly have no intention...'  
'Wait, you did count it once, boss,' Miles interrupted.  
'Yes, Miles. I count pins when I'm under a pressure. Thank you for bringing that up right now.'  
'Don't look at me, she mentioned it,' DS Miles shrugged. Lucy felt obliged to provide an explanation.  
'I've seen it on TV show. You know, pixie can be quite nasty. Of course I didn't mean...' Her cheeks turned red. 'You are not like pixie in this way. You look like really nice guy. Tailored suit and all, I like it. Sir,' she finished awkwardly.  
Surprisingly there was a pale smile on DI Chandler's face.  
'I'm sorry,' she apologized, looking anxiously at sergeant. 'I'm always gibbering when I'm nervous.'  
'It's fine. You are right. I can pick it up later.'  
Inspector got up, still smiling. He couldn't remember the last time he had overcame his OCD.  
'We are interested in your work,' he said calmly, bringing back proper topic. She liked his tone.  
They had called her just when she was about to believe that the craziness was over. Well, it wasn't. It was just the beginning. That's why she needed all calmness of the world.  
'You know I'm illustrator,' she stared at him in utter shock. Her job supposed to be out of police's interest.  
Both of them nodded.  
'I'm making pictures for children's books. Fairy tales. Why would you find it interesting?'  
Her job was harmless, even boring. She spent most of her time in home. She desperately wanted to make it clear. They looked at her in silence. Lucy couldn't help but gulp. They were judging if she was telling the truth. Suddenly she felt out of place. The room was grey and barely furnished. Policemen, in their suits, looked impeccable and intimidating at the same time. In comparison to them, Lucy could be a character from one of her fables. She was wearing turquoise dress and her long hair was plaited. _The lost princess in the land of black-and-white._ Lucy shook her head. The thought made her feel helpless. She kept forgetting she was grown up. She decided not to let them intimidate her.  
Changing of attitude didn't make the silence less awkward. Finally DS Miles handed her a book.  
'The Grand Plot of Hideous Witch,' she read out loud. 'It haven't been published yet. Where did you buy it?'  
'Did you illustrate this book?' sergeant ignored her question.  
'Yes, it's all in here.'  
She showed them title page. Her name was there, next to the author. 'Lucy Norcross. That's me'  
'What about the witch?' Miles wanted to now.  
'What about her?'  
Lucy looked at the picture. She had sketched it in hospital two weeks ago. It was perfect witch.  
'Do you know her?'  
She looked away and fought a smile.  
'Don't be ridiculous. You do know it's a fairy tale. It's not real.'  
'So you didn't have any inspiration.'  
DI Chandler made it sound like a question. Lucy laid down the book, trying to avoid curious glances. They noticed change in her behavior. She had a moment of doubt whether she should speak the truth.  
'You can tell us anything,' DI encouraged.  
'You have to,' Sergeant reminded impatiently.  
'It's going to sound crazy,' Lucy forewarned.  
'Believe me, we are more than ready for this.'


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy sighed, feeling uncomfortable with her sweaty palms.  
'It was warm evening so I decided to go on walk. Everything was perfectly normal. No cars on street. People were laughing. There was this guy who died in hospital when I woke up.'  
If the explosion had happened five minutes earlier, she would be dead now. It had caused displacement of air. She lost conscientious when the blast wind reached her. She woke up in hospital. It was loud, everyone was screaming in pain. Lucy felt calm back then. They said it was only tertiary injuries. She supposed to feel lucky. The doctor said so and then her sister repeated it and even bloody journalists wanted her to believe it. Lucy didn't feel lucky though. She was dizzy all the time. Her hands were itching. Her apartment was devastated. It was difficult to come back to old habits. It felt like she was living somebody's else life.  
The inspector looked at her concerned.  
'Are you all right?'  
She shrugged. It was easier than telling the truth.  
'Your witch was standing on pedestrian crossing. She looked quite elegant. Hat, poncho… All pink I think,' she smiled as it rhymed.  
' Anyway, I know how ridiculous it must sound for you, but…' she hesitated too embarrassed to go on.  
'Come on, girl,' Miles clapped his hands. 'We don't have all day.'  
'Well, you must understand I'm not a big fan of old ladies. They usually look like they are up to something. And they can be really mean when you don't offer them your seat in bus fast enough. One of them actually hit me with umbrella once. Could you believe it?'  
'Hardly.'  
DI Chandler smiled at her. The girl had a real problem with driveling.  
'But there was something iffy about her,' he tried to get back to the main topic.  
'Of course, she was completely insane! It's not normal to hit people without reason..."  
DI grunted significantly.  
'Sorry! I'm being extremely foolish today, ' she realized her mistake. 'Crossing lady. God, she was hideous.'  
'What do you mean?'  
'I'm usually not afraid of old ladies. Even when they hit me with brollies, but this one was different. Her expression... No, I say it wrong. There was no expression at all. And that was scary as hell itself. I like your friend's book by the way. The Gates of Hell in Whitechapel. It sounds interesting. She could be the perfect person to open it.'  
DI Chandler raised his eyebrows. Lucy misunderstood his expression.  
'You must forgive me, sir. I rarely speak out loud everything what comes to my mind. '  
She looked at book again, feeling proud.  
'She is quite a witch. They paid me double for this picture,' Lucy frowned, but then, she suddenly smiled. 'Wait, now I get it!' she paused lowering the intensity of her voice, 'Your friend is a writer. That's how you got the book before publication.'  
None of them confirmed it, but she knew it was truth. Lucy felt relief. After the accident thinking became difficult. Firstly blame was on shock, then medications. It felt good to be smart again. She almost forgot about the witch.  
'Is it all?' They wanted to know, bringing her back to reality. Lucy was tempted to left her story unfinished. It didn't feel right. Accusing some old lady.  
'Well, I'm sure it's not important. I was about to turn right when the van appeared. I could hear people singing. I hate people singing in cars like some bloody scouts. I looked back and she moved. I mean the old lady, the witch. She was standing there when the street was completely empty. Why did she move on? Well, it didn't seem important back then, so I turned right. You know the rest. Van crashed into the gas truck, killing your murderers, journalists went crazy and you…' she hesitated. 'I have no idea what you're trying to do. It was an accident.'  
The last statement sounded a lot like question. They left it unanswered.  
'Your murderers,' DI Chandler repeated slightly exasperated.  
Lucy blushed at her obvious slip.  
'I did my research,' she explained, avoiding his gaze. 'It's not a big secret or something. They wrote about it in newspapers and you can find anything on the internet. Well, let's just say, I wouldn't google my name for some time if I were you.'  
They nodded, accepting her answer. It was difficult to miss the information about Whitechapel Police's involvement. As she said journalists went crazy.  
'Boss, do you mind if I show her a photo,' Miles wanted to know. Change of his behavior made her anxious. Inspector shrugged, apparently less exited than his colleague. She kept silent when sergeant exited, intimated by DI's insistent glance.  
'It's weird, you know,' she started hesitantly. 'The explosion was massive. I was behind the building. That's why I'm alive. The weird thing is that when I woke up in hospital, she wasn't around victims."  
'How can you be sure?'  
'Well, you know she wasn't there, don't you,' she said, getting a frown from him.  
'You haven't answered my question.'  
Lucy rolled her eyes. She was disappointed in herself. They were using silence to make her talk. Telling the truth seemed impossible.  
'Police was there, so I asked. I told them my grandma had been around. I was worried, so they checked it.'  
'So you lied.'  
Lucy sighed. That was rather obvious.  
'Why do you think I wasn't so eager to tell you in the first place.'  
He noticed that she wasn't calling him _sir _anymore_. _He didn't mind.  
'I'll turn a blind eye on it."  
'You better do it.'  
It would sound impolitely if she didn't smile.  
Fortunately DS Miles interrupted them in this awkward moment.  
'Do you recognize this woman?' he asked and handed her a photo.  
'It's her.'  
Lucy turned pale. She closed her eyes to calm her nerves. It didn't help.  
'Can I offer you something. Tea, water, anything'  
DI Chandler asked as he noticed the color drained out of her face.  
'Whiskey,' she said shortly. 'No, I'm sorry. I'm getting carried away.'  
'Don't worry. You can have whatever you want.'  
DS Miles put a glass in her hand.  
'Thank you,' she mumbled and drank it all at once. 'Who is she? Why do you have her picture?'  
Lucy asked as the alcohol was warming her up. She could feel it in her stomach.  
'First rule of interrogation. We ask questions you answer,' DS Miles reminded.  
'So ask,' she crossed her arms, showing her dissatisfaction.  
'I think it all. Boss?'  
'Yes, you are free to go,' DI Chandler confirmed.  
Lucy got up so fast that she lost her balance for a moment.  
'Wait here. I get someone to give you a ride. How about that?' DI Chandler offered unexpectedly.  
She nodded. Bus trip would be a nightmare.  
'You do it. I can stay in charge. There is no case anyway.' DS tried to sound carelessly. Inspector agreed, but he wasn't happy about it. He knew Miles was up to something. Lucy took her bag and they left the room. Miles went straight to incident room. He had one hour to bring up the case of Louise Iver again. He wanted to do it without DI's cynical comments.


End file.
